The invention relates to sorting coins or other items by the diameter of the coin or item.
There is a need to sort ever-increasing volumes of coins at ever-higher speeds.
A known high-volume coin sorter employs a number of sorting plates. Each plate is associated with a different denomination of coin and includes a number of through-holes extending through the thickness of the plate. The diameter of the holes is slightly smaller than the diameter of the coin associated with the plate. The plates are stacked vertically above one another, with each higher plate associated with the next larger diameter coin.
Unsorted coins are placed on the uppermost sorting plate. The plate is shaken to xe2x80x9cskitterxe2x80x9d or displace the coins. Coins having a diameter larger than the hole diameter remain on the plate. Coins having a smaller diameter fall through the plate and drop onto the next lower plate. All the plates shake simultaneously to drop smaller coins on lower plates. Eventually each plate holds only the coins associated with the plate.
This known coin sorter has a number of disadvantages. Shaking the coins limits sorting speed. The sorter generates high levels of noise and vibration. Keeping noise and vibration within tolerable limits further slows sorting speed.
Other known coin sorters use a rotating disk to discharge coins to a sorting rail or sorting plate. The coins are discharged one-by-one from the disk, limiting sorting speed.
Thus, there is a need for an improved coin sorter. The improved coin sorter should sort a high volume of coins at high speed, without excessive noise or vibration.
The invention is directed to an improved high-speed, high-volume coin sorter. The improved coin sorter sorts a large volume of coins more rapidly than conventional sorters, without excessive noise or vibration.
A coin sorter in accordance with the present invention includes a coin feed device and a coin sorting device. The feed device is configured to receive unsorted coins of various denominations and feed the coins to the coin sorting device for sorting. The coin sorting device has a number of stationary sorting stations that separate the flow of coins into sorted sets of coins.
The sorting stations can be formed as stationary sorting plates, each sorting plate associated with a respective coin denomination. Each sorting plate has holes that are sized to prevent coins of a first set of coin denominations from falling through the holes, but allow a second set of coin denominations to fall through. The sorting plates are arranged in series to progressively sort the coins.
In a preferred embodiment each sorting plate includes a surface for supporting coins on the plate, an intake end for receiving coins onto the plate, a discharge end downstream of the intake end for discharging coins from the plate, and a number of through-holes between the ends of the plate. Each hole extends from the surface through the thickness of the plate and has a diameter smaller than the coin diameter of the denomination associated with the sorting plate, but larger than the next-smaller.
The coin sorter further includes a number of drive devices and one or more transfer devices. Each drive device is associated with a respective sorting plate to drive coins downstream along the top surface of the plate. The drive device presses the coins against the surface of the plate while urging the coins along the plate. Coins having a diameter less than the diameter of the plate holes drop into the holes and fall through the plate. The remaining coins are driven to the discharge end of the plate. Each transfer device is disposed beneath a respective preceding sorting plate to receive coins that fall through the plate and transfer the coins to the succeeding plate.
In operation, a stream of unsorted coins are fed by the feed device to the sorting plate associated with the largest-diameter coin. The coins are driven along the sorting plate. Coins of the denomination associated with the sorting plate are driven the entire length of the sorting plate and discharged from the end of the plate. Smaller diameter coins fall through the holes in the sorting plate and are transported to the succeeding plate. The process successively repeats, with each coin denomination sequentially removed from the stream and discharged from a sorting plate and the remaining smaller diameter coins transferred to the succeeding sorting plate.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention the coin sorting device includes a number of conveyors that form portions of the transfer devices. Each conveyor is located beneath a respective preceding sorting plate to receive the coins that drop through the plate and transport them to the succeeding plate. In yet other possible embodiments the conveyors are endless conveyors that also form portions of the drive devices. The endless conveyors engage and drive the coins along the sorting plates.
In particularly advantageous embodiments of the present invention the driving devices incline the sorting plates at an angle with respect to the horizontal. This reduces the power required to operate the sorter. Gravity assists in urging the coins along the sorting plates. The coins could slide down the plates by gravity alone or in conjunction with the conveyor belts.
The stationary sorting plates substantially reduce noise and vibration in comparison to high-volume sorters having moving sorting plates. The stationary plates can be large enough to support a large number of coins. The plates can be vertically stacked so that the coin sorter is compact and takes up a relatively little floor space.
Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, of which there are nine sheets of drawings and four embodiments.